Hot Chocolate in 90 Degree Weather
by morgafly
Summary: It's a good thing Gabriella Montez was working alone that night. RxG Oneshot.


Hey fellow readers! It's been awhile since I wrote a High School Musical fiction, so I decided to write this Ryella oneshot. Enjoy!

**Hot Chocolate in 90 Degree Weather**

_I'll be home for Christmas_

_You can count on me_

_Please have snow, and mistletoe_

_And presents under the tree_

"Gabriella!" Tedd Holmes screamed, crossing his arms against his chest. It was Christmas Eve and there was no one around the small little café besides Tedd and his employee, Gabriella.

As if right on cue, Gabriella Montez sprung through the swinging doors that separated the café from the kitchen. Her dark brown, long locks flowed over she shoulders (Think of the first High School Musical movie, okay?) and the green apron that was tied around her neck and waist. Tedd couldn't help but laugh at the sixteen year old standing before him. She looked so worried as she fiddled with her thumbs. "Gabriella, what are you doing here?"

Gabriella wished she could answer her boss's question, but she couldn't. It was Christmas Eve. So no one would be out asking for hot chocolate or lattes, especially in this heat. It was a record ninety degrees and Gabriella took note of that as she wiped her brow off. When Gabriella didn't answer, Tedd continued.

"It's Christmas Eve, and I know your mother is out of town on business, but shouldn't you go stay with a relative, or something?" Gabriella shook her head and Tedd sighed, "Well, look, I have a family to get home to. So, I was wondering if you could look after the shop. I don't mean to be rude, or anything, it's just that I haven't seen four of my six kids since August of last year. This is the first real Christmas we can spend together, as a family, you know?"

Gabriella half smiled at this, looking down at her shoes. She didn't know, because she didn't have any other siblings or relatives that spent Christmas with her. It was always a lonely time, but Gabriella made the best of it. Ever since she and Troy broke up, she had been spending a lot more time at the café and her studies. One more night of alone time couldn't hurt. It was better than being at home, sitting next to a fake Christmas tree with no presents underneath it. Looking up from her black shoes, Gabriella nodded, "Of course I can stay. Get out of here."

Tedd thanked her and wished her a Merry Christmas; Gabriella waved and mumbled, "Merry Christmas to you, too, sir." as Tedd walked out the door and to his car. It was four in the afternoon, and the sun was still beating down on Albuquerque with no mercy. Gabriella rolled up her jeans so her legs could get a little air, turning up the air conditioning in the café. She wasn't used to it being so hot in December; she usually lived on the east coast, where it was snowy and cold.

"And so begins another lonely Christmas."

Ryan Evans hated Christmas with everything in his power. His sister made him dress up in a red, silk dress shirt and black dress pants, trying to impress the annual houseguests that came over to eat and give out presents. The Evans family was quite large, and Ryan hated it. He always wanted a small, quiet Christmas. But, no, with the Evans, everything always had to be done big.

Ryan hated his distant family. They were all snobs that didn't give a crap about Ryan or his family; they were just here for the free food. And, did Ryan mention, that the black dress pants were really starting to irritate him?

As he sat down to a nice Christmas dinner, all he heard was loud, muffled voices trying to be heard over everyone else. He saw his mom break out the wine for the adults, and caffeine filled Mountain Dew for the kids. This was going to be a long night. About halfway through the dinner, Ryan felt chunks of sweat roll down his forehead. It wasn't normal, everything around him was steaming, not just the food. His Great Aunt Bessie had just gotten into a heated argument with his other Great Aunt Petunia, who both just happened to be on either side of him. "Um," Ryan started to say, backing his chair out, "I'm gonna go for a walk." His mother nodded, giving him permission to leave the dining room.

Ryan literally ran out the front door of the huge mansion, happy to get away from all the commotion inside. With his red hat protecting his eyes from the sun, Ryan set down for Main Street, hopping that his favorite café would still be open, so that he wouldn't have to spend this utterly horrid and hot Christmas Eve alone.

"Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock," Gabriella sang along to her favorite Christmas song. Her elbows were propped up against the counter, her chin resting on the palms of her hands. This was a truly pathetic Christmas, but it wasn't the worst.

Gabriella remembered when she was eight years old, it was Christmas Eve and it was the day her worst nightmare came to life.

_Flashback – Christmas Eve: Eight Years Ago_

It was a cold day in New York City; massive flurries were blinding the civilians that dared to walk the streets. An eight year old Gabriella Montez was smiling happily as she braided her hair into two pigtails. Finally, there were no business trips to interrupt her Christmas. Her mom and her dad had cleared out their schedules to spend Christmas with Gabriella and nothing could go wrong. Gabriella flounced in her Christmas dress as she scurried throughout her apartment to find the perfect shoes. They were black and had fake diamonds sketched into the elastic strap that went over the base of her foot. Gabriella ran past the huge Christmas tree that went up to the very tall ceiling of her apartment, to the hall closet. "They have to be here." She thought out loud.

Gabriella was a very privileged child, both her parents worked at very successful businesses. Her parents had always told her not to take advantage of what she had, even though she knew what they meant. The Montez's were filthy rich, though her parents didn't seem to want to admit it. They owned a whole floor of a very pricey hotel. And at eight years old, Gabriella had more clothes than Sharpay and Ryan Evans combined. This was mostly her father's doing. He worked so hard to get the good money that he well deserved, but often forgot that he had a wife and child that wanted his attention, not just his money.

"Aha!" Gabriella screamed with triumph. "I found them!" Pulling out a pair of black, sparkly shoes, Gabriella immediately put them on her feet. "Perfect," she whispered to herself. And she was right, they were perfect. "Gabriella!" Mrs. Montez called from across the hall, "Come here, child, let me see you!"

Gabriella flew across the hall, eager for her mother's opinion on her fashion choices. Gabriella stood in front of her mother, hands folded behind her back. Her mother smiled warmly, looking at her daughter head to toe. "You look beautiful."

That was no lie; Gabriella looked stunning for an eight year old. Her golden brown hair was curled in perfect ringlets that flowed right past her shoulders. Her dress was a red velvet color that puffed out as it got longer and stopped right below the knees. And, of course, her black shoes with fake diamonds on the strap. Gabriella smiled and her cheeks flushed, looking down at the floor. "Thank you, Mama."

Her mother smiled in return, lifting Gabriella's chin up, "Go set the table, your father will be home any minute." Gabriella's eyes sparkled as she raced to the dining room to set a table for three. Just as she was finished the silverware, the house phone rang. Mrs. Montez rushed to pick it up. "Hello?" Gabriella heard her mother ask from the other room, "Oh, Lionel." Her father. "What do you mean you can't come home? Gabriella has been looking forward to this all year, practically! I thought we wanted to spend Christmas together?" Gabriella felt her heart rise up to her throat. "Oh, my fault? How is this my fault, Lionel? All I wanted was for our family to be together for Christmas." There was a long pause. "Well, if that's how you feel, then don't expect your daughter _or_ your wife to be home whenever you intend on coming!" Gabriella's mother said in a sharp tone, slamming the phone down. Gabriella winced at her mother's tone, but instantly regained composure when her mother burst into the dining room.

"Gabriella, we're leaving, right now." Her mother said in the same sharp tone she used with her father. Gabriella gasped as she mother grabbed her hand and pulled her to the front door. "But, mom…"

"Hush, child. Grab your coat." Gabriella's mother ordered as she grabbed her own coat and purse. Gabriella pulled her coat out of the closet without a sound, watching her mother take off the two rings that occupied her left ring finger. Mrs. Montez set them on the small table near the front door and looked at Gabriella with sad eyes before leading the way out the door. Gabriella put on her coat and followed her mother out of the room and into the hallway. What was going on?

_End of Flashback_

That was the last Christmas Gabriella spent in New York City; on the twenty-sixth of December she moved to Boston, Massachusetts and started her new life with her mother. Gabriella never really understood her mother's reason for leaving, but she respected it.

And now, here Gabriella was, sitting in an empty café on Christmas Eve. "Some life," Gabriella muttered, as the café's clock struck six o'clock. The sun was beginning to set, but the heat wasn't going down with it.

The café sparkled during the night, Tedd had made Gabriella and some of the other workers decorate the outside and inside for the holidays, maybe to attract more customers. But, decorations wouldn't attract more customers, maybe if Tedd lowered his prices. Gabriella chuckled at this thought as she steamed some hot water to make herself some hot chocolate.

Ryan strutted down Main Street, looking at all the neon CLOSED signs that hung across almost every shop or restaurant. _Well, this is perfect_, Ryan thought, _Now I have no where to go._ He looked at all the street lamps that were decorated with lights as he crossed the deserted street. It would be perfect if it would just snow, but Ryan had never had the experience of snow. Well, expect one year when he was eight years old.

_Flashback – Christmas Eve: Eight Years Ago_

It was a steaming hot day in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Eighty-nine degrees. Ryan Evans couldn't stand it. He hated the hot weather. Growing up in Albuquerque, Ryan had never experienced real snow. He had always wanted to play around in the snow with his sister, even Sharpay had shared that she wanted a real snowstorm for once. It was weird, because Sharpay always told everyone that she hated even thinking about snow and cold weather, only Ryan knew the truth.

At about three o'clock in the afternoon the large grandfather clock in the main hallway chimed, the noise echoing through the large house. Ryan groaned, in one hour his home would be overflowing with fake houseguests and relatives, all coming to share Christmas dinner with Ryan and his family. Ryan's mother, Lily Evans, noticed Ryan's distressed look on his face. She smiled, showing her beautiful white teeth, walking over to her eight year old son.

"Ryan? It everything all right, dear?" She asked with concern, sitting down on the couch opposite of Ryan. Ryan looked at his mother, shrugging his shoulders casually. "I just wish it wasn't so warm, that's all, mom." Ryan answered, taking off his hat to fan his face. Lily laughed at her son, moving over to put her arm around him. "I remember when I lived in New York; we had a terrible snowstorm on Christmas Eve. I was around your age." Ryan looked up at his mother in interest, signaling her to continue her story. "Well, I was so excited. It was my first white Christmas, and I was going to experience it with my whole family. I wasted my time running around the whole house with the maids and butlers, trying to get everything nice and clean for our guests." Lily then sighed, looking out the window at the sun. "My father, your grandpa, came in and told me to stop running around like a buffoon," Ryan laughed at this, "because no one was going to be able to swoon over the clean household. You see, Ry, the storm was so bad that none of my relatives were able to get out of their houses to come and eat Christmas dinner. I was heartbroken. My father put his arm around me and promised that we would have a wonderful Christmas, just him, my mother, my other four siblings and me. And we did. But, it wasn't the same as having a full dining room of family."

Ryan looked up blankly at his mother, trying to find the point of her story. Lily giggled, "My point is that you shouldn't complain about having to spend Christmas with your relatives, it should be the happiest time of your life being around family." Ryan was shocked. How did she know that the real reason he was upset was because of his family? Ryan smiled at his mother, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Oh, dear, you dad has a surprise for you in the backyard. Go see what it is."

Ryan jumped excitedly off of the couch, running to the back sliding glass door, where he saw an excited Sharpay waiting for him. "Ry, oh Ry! You have to come and see! It's the most magical thing I've ever seen!" Sharpay said excitedly, jumping up and down. Ryan grabbed his sister's hand and dragged her to the backyard, to be greeted with strange white, fluffy specks of dust blowing in his face. He looked at his sister with a confused look on his face before letting go of her hand. He was then greeted by his father, who knelt down next to him. "Merry Christmas, Ryan. It's your first white Christmas." Ryan's father said with a genuine smile. Ryan held out his hand for his father to shake, but was instead pulled into a huge hug. The best Christmas _ever_.

_End of Flashback_

Ryan Evans smiled to himself, stuffing his hands into his pockets. It was the best Christmas memory he had. Ryan looked up from the pavement and saw a red OPEN sign shine through the window of Tedd's Café. He smiled gratefully, crossing the deserted street to the café.

Gabriella was having a tough time keeping her eyes open, letting her head sink to the table. "Why did I volunteer to work on Christmas Eve?" She wondered aloud.

"To serve strange teenage guys that walk in late at night?"

Gabriella's head shot up, only to see Ryan Evans standing in front of her, the biggest grin on his face. "Ryan? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at your home, having an extravagant Christmas dinner?" She asked, tightening the apron around her neck.

"I should, but then I decided to ditch dinner when my grandma started raving about Sharpay. It was torture." Gabriella laughed at this, clearing away her empty mug that was once filled with hot chocolate. "What can I get you?" She asked, tapping her fingernails on the countertop. Ryan put a fingering on his chin, pondering on what drink he should order. "Three bucks for a mug of hot chocolate? That's a little extreme for the holidays, don't you think?" Gabriella laughed once again, nodding.

"Hey, I don't make the prices, I just serve the food. And for you, this'll be on the house." She winked at him, and could have sworn she saw him blush.

"Well, in that case, I'll have a mug of hot chocolate, please." Gabriella nodded, rushing off into the kitchen to make the drink.

Ryan sighed happily, sitting himself on one of the spinning stools next to the counter. He was happy that Gabriella was here, he hadn't really had a chance to have an actual conversation with her since Lava Springs over the summer. He had missed her and her brains, a lot. He especially liked it since she had grown her hair out. Her brown curls flowed down her back and flounced every which way she walked. But, once summer comes, she'd probably chop it all off again. Ryan was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't see Gabriella come back with a mug filled to the brim with hot chocolate, and overflowing with whipped cream.

Gabriella laughed at herself, setting the mug down on top of a napkin. "Sorry about that, I wasn't really paying attention." She giggled nervously, because the real reason she hadn't paid attention to the cup of hot chocolate was because she was too busy staring at Ryan. He had really matured over the summer, he had let his hair grow out a little bit, which made him look older. His eyes were stand out-ish, and she liked it.

Ryan shrugged, taking a quick sip of the hot chocolate. "Tastes great, Gabriella. Thanks." He shot a smile at her and she nearly melted. "So, tell me, why are you here, working, on Christmas Eve?" He asked her, leaning forward on the counter.

Gabriella blushed slightly, fiddling with the hem of her apron. "Well, my mom's away on business. And my dad's, well, somewhere. I'm not really sure." The truth was that Gabriella knew exactly where her father was. He was in the same apartment in New York City, loving his new trophy wife, star athlete son and cheerleader daughter. It was sad that her father hadn't even made an effort to contact her, especially around the holidays. But, that was life.

"Oh." Ryan responded before slugging down his hot chocolate. Well, it took about five seconds for him to finish that. "Well, thanks for this, Gabriella." Gabriella nodded in response. Ryan felt sort of bad, leaving her in the café all alone. He bit his lip, standing up. "Would you, you know, want to take a walk with me? I don't think you're going to get much more business." Ryan chuckled to himself, looking at Gabriella for an answer. She smiled at him, taking off her apron. "Sure, why not." Before the two walked out the door Gabriella turned off the red OPEN sign, just to make sure. She was about to walk out the door, but Ryan stopped her. "Um, Gabriella…" Ryan started, looking up. Gabriella raised her eyebrows in confusion, before looking up at the ceiling. _Oh good God,_ Gabriella thought to herself, _mistletoe. _

Ryan smiled at her before leaning down for a kiss, and Gabriella didn't stop him. Maybe she wouldn't be so alone this Christmas, after all.

**--------- El fin.**

_So, how'd you like it? I thought I'd put a holiday HSM fic up for once, just to be in the spirit of things. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE review! I'm going to be updating Holiday Wish soon, so look out for that. Happy Holidays, everyone! I hope you all have a safe and wonderful Christmas, or whatever you celebrate!_

_Love,_

_morgafly (Morgan)_


End file.
